Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today called for a series of revenue raising measures on the state level and crucial investments on the city level as part of the COVID-19 crisis response and recovery plan. He highlighted the need to adapt to budget deficits and prevent the slashing of critical systems such as healthcare and education, as well as both youth and senior services, through revenue-raising measures on the state level and targeted investment on the city level.
In a press conference with advocates and elected officials today, the Public Advocate stated "With these cuts, the Governor is essentially saying that while he refuses to consider raising taxes on the wealthy, he's okay with cutting services are critical to New York's most vulnerable populations, especially low income communities of more color. We need adaptation, not austerity, putting in place innovative measures on a city and state level to protect vital programs in this crisis. State legislative leaders need to take action to oppose these devastating cuts." He noted that state-level cuts have contributed to deficits in New York City, causing municipal cuts as well.
This comes as the Public Advocate has issued his formal response to the city's FY2021 executive budget put forth by Mayor Bill de Blasio. In a letter sent on Friday, the Public Advocate outlined the budget priorities which he believes should be reflected in the final city budget. While the Mayor's proposal includes steep cuts to a wide range of programs in response to the deficits created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Advocate's response argues that the long-term recovery from the crisis will require maintaining key investments currently in danger of being cut, including Summer Youth Employment, Education, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice. In a letter to the Mayor, the Public Advocate states "While I understand the need to pursue budget savings due to the unprecedented drop in projected revenue, it is vital that certain essential programs continue to receive resources necessary to address the needs of our city," saying "We cannot ask for the greatest burdens to be shouldered by those who have the greatest need." The Public Advocate also argued that in many cases, potential deficits could be offset by raising revenue on a state level, and called on his fellow city elected officials to pass a resolution supporting several revenue-raising measures. He will join a press conference Monday afternoon to discuss these measures aimed at helping to cover state and city budget deficits. In supporting the need to raise revenue from the wealthiest New Yorkers and invest in those with the greatest need, Pubic Advocate Williams said "Our current financial crisis most closely resembles the Great Depression, a time when social programs were expanded, not cut, in order to fuel recovery for the nation at large while providing everyday families with the resources that they needed... I reject the idea that we can't afford to make investments into our recovery - we can't afford not to."
The full text of the Public Advocate's response letter is below and can be downloaded here. Dear Mayor de Blasio: While I understand the need to pursue budget savings due to the unprecedented drop in projected revenue, it is vital that certain essential programs continue to receive resources necessary to address the needs of our city. Some of the proposed budget cuts would do more harm than good, taking damaging steps backward and causing greater financial stress in the long run. It would be remiss of me to not address the substantial budget cuts to vital support for youth services, education, and low-income communities of more color, while the city continues to invest astronomically in law enforcement approach best served by other programs. The reality of our circumstance is that budget cuts will be necessary and painful. We must ensure that cuts be equitably distributed especially at a time when it is clear that specific communities were unexpectedly and disparately impacted. I have made several recommendations, including those below, in my office's report on COVID-19 Response and Recovery. It is easier to show our values in times of surplus, than in times of hardship, but we cannot ask for the greatest burdens to be shouldered by those who have the greatest need. As I previously called for in a letter to state leaders only six weeks ago, there are a multitude of broadly supported, common- sense proposals for closing loopholes and creating modest tax increases on the ultra-wealthy - generating as much as $20 billion in new revenue. To reject these proposals in favor of withholding resources from communities that desperately need help would be a moral failure that history would not forgive. I've also introduced a resolution to the City Council that I request be adopted, calling on the state to raise needed revenue. In the coming year, New Yorkers will need a strong and supportive government more than ever; we have all been affected by the loss of businesses and employment, the loss of loved ones, the loss of treasured social and cultural hubs, and the loss of peace of mind. In the upcoming year, our health care system is likely to be overburdened, and we need to work to a system that provides adequate health care for all New Yorkers, including mental health services. Even individuals who have not previously experienced a need for supportive services may need access to mental services following the difficulties of this pandemic, and we need a comprehensive plan to make sure New Yorkers can access the services they need. This plan must include funding for houses of worship. These organizations, especially in the communities hardest hit, are closest to communities, and can provide direct services community members need and will trust. Additional local steps need to be taken, as well. To coordinate our response to the current crisis, and to envision the pathway to a post-pandemic New York, we must immediately create a citywide COVID-19 recovery task force. This task force, composed of faith leaders, advocacy groups, and government agencies such as DOHMH, DOE, ACS, among others, should collectively propose solutions to get New York City back on its feet, especially the communities that have been most severely impacted, in a manner that is both transparent and accountable. Immediate funding needs the city must provide is support for funeral and burial services. In addition to helping cover the cost of burials for the families of victims of COVID-19, the city must work to establish a fund for estate planning, so individuals in New York are able to make plans for eventualities in this moment of crisis, and also as a general safety net going forward. As negotiations accelerate, I also call on the administration to maintain current funding levels for the following programs (unless otherwise noted), so that they can assist our city in enduring this crisis: Summer Youth Employment Program My urgent priority is to preserve funding for the Summer Youth Employment Program ("SYEP") in the coming budget. The program is an invaluable tool for our marginalized youth, communities of more color, and low-income families across our city. We know that jobs are key to keeping young people engaged in their community. Besides cutting violent crime arrests in half without reliance on law enforcement, SYEP demonstrably improves economic opportunity, provides invaluable skills and experience, and carries out essential roles that serve our entire city. Instead of being scrapped, SYEP should be adapted to meet youth needs during the current crisis. Let's use this moment as an opportunity to incentivize education. The city can use a stipend payment and allow for remote work and skills training, filling essential roles where the city needs them most. SYEP will also be key to filling the gaps that will allow our city to economically and socially recover. The SYEP's young and eager workforce deserves an opportunity to build their own foundations for a promising future while they serve and strengthen our city. I stand ready to partner with you and the administration in fashioning such a program. Education We know New York City's schools have been shortchanged by Albany for over a decade. New York City schools are not just a place to get a Regents degree, but a vital epicenter of programs and services in a city where 1 in 10 children do not have stable housing. A crisis that will only be exacerbated in these difficult times. While operational efficiencies are understandable, particularly now, close to $400 million in cuts to vocational programs, after school, and universal pre-k will make it harder for low-income parents to take care of their families, and make it harder for young people to get the workforce development they need to plan for future careers. I call on the administration to reject cuts- outside of operational efficiencies - principally to school maintenance staff, and select existing programming, including: 3K expansion, College Access for All and arts programming. I also call on the administration, like proposals for SYEP, to restructure School's Out New York City ("SONYC") so that remote learning is implemented. It is also deeply disappointing to see higher education on the chopping block. The CUNY student body is made up of predominantly students who come from low-income backgrounds, who will be disproportionately impacted by the economic effects of over $166 million in cuts. My office released a report last fall which laid out my recommendations, including a need for full programmatic funding from the city and state, eliminating the TAP gap in the pursuit of moving towards making CUNY tuition-free once more and supporting CUNY faculty including adjunct professors, who should make at $7,000 per course. While these recommendations may sound strange during an economic recession, this is exactly the time to invest in our future. Public higher education in New York City saw some of its most significant growth and investment during the Great Depression, building a sound foundation for the middle class and working-class families. Time and again we see that investments in education have long term economic benefits for the entire society, and we are now in the midst of another critical opportunity to demonstrate that.
Child Welfare For young people in need of services from this city, a city where 1 in 10 children are homeless, this budget will have a long-standing impact. And, like any other circumstance, those least able to protect themselves will suffer the most. Cutting over $300 million from the budget of foster care, and child welfare services will not alleviate the need for these programs, or the damage to communities when children are not protected from harm. In a time when so many of New York's families will be experiencing hardship, we have a responsibility to the most vulnerable young people to expand programs aimed at keeping families together, and other prevention services. Juvenile Justice For too long, we have seen families and communities decimated by locking up people who pose no threat to society and belong at home. Let us use this moment as a turning point. Further, District Attorneys should use prosecutorial discretion to decline to charge young people arrested for non-violent crimes. And yet, this budget decimates programs directly created to help young people involved in the justice system. Cutting over $20 million from programs aimed at voluntary non-secure detention, and alternatives to detention leave young people at risk and is a shortsighted, short term budgetary fix, with long term economic and social costs well beyond just the young people involved in these programs. Our current financial crisis most closely resembles the Great Depression, a time when social programs were expanded, not cut, in order to fuel recovery for the nation at large while providing everyday families with the resources that they needed. The 2008 global financial crisis also provided key lessons that we can't afford to ignore - austerity doesn't work. The governments that slashed critical services en masse lagged years behind governments that invested in recovery and growth. I reject the idea that we can't afford to make investments into our recovery - we can't afford not to. Once this crisis subsides, I welcome further discussions on how budget allocations should be adjusted and refined to best address a post-pandemic reality. Please contact First Deputy Public Advocate for Policy, Nick E. Smith, at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov for questions or further discussion. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Jumaane D. Williams Public Advocate for the City of New York
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